Lincoln Riley excited about the progress Korey Foreman has made this spring

Korey Foreman is beginning to come into his own when it comes to USC‘s defensive improvement this offseason, according to Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley. The incoming junior struggled through his first two seasons in LA and is poised for a breaking campaign in 2023 — barring any more injuries.

“He’s been able to stay on the field,” Riley said of Foreman so far this spring. “He’s been able to stay in workouts. He hasn’t had a lot of times where he’s in and out of stuff. So what happens is you’re starting to see him stack good days on top of each other.

“He has improved and is such a better player right now than he was 12 months ago. It’s not even close. It is not even close and the kid is really working hard. He’s really taking some steps.”

The 6-foot-4, 235-pound edge rusher recorded 24 tackles and 4.5 sacks in 23 games through his first two seasons at USC. Those numbers aren’t what many expected of someone who was regarded as a blue-chip prospect coming out of high school.

In fact, he was the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2021 class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, which is a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. Comparatively, last year’s No. 1 overall prospect, Texas A&M defensive tackle Walter Nolen, finished his true freshman season with 29 tackles, one sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Foreman appeared in nine games for the Trojans last season, compiling just nine total tackles but was still able to record his first-career interception in a 48-45 win over rival UCLA. His best games came on the road against Stanford on Sept. 10 and at home vs. Colorado on Nov. 11, where he totaled three tackles in both games.

Give Foreman credit for staying true to Riley’s philosophy and sticking with his head coach throughout his struggles instead of entering his name into the transfer portal, which no one would blame him for. He would see himself in an extended role on nearly every other Power Five program if he elected to leave, but Foreman grew up less than an hour from USC’s campus — it’s his home.

With Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams likely entering his final season in college before turning pro, USC has a win-now attitude more than ever. Likewise, Foreman has the opportunity to play a huge role in the Trojans’ defensive efforts this season in the hopes of securing his hometown team a spot in the College Football Playoff — he just has to stay healthy and consistent, according to his head coach.